Jean Renoir: Part Two - Hollywood and Beyond

This 60-minute BBC documentary, directed by David Thompson, is the second part of a two-part series examining the career of legendary French filmmaker Jean Renoir. Part Two focuses on the latter half of Renoir's life and work, opening with his 1941 arrival in Hollywood following his departure from Europe during World War II. The film traces his difficult and largely unhappy experiences working within the Hollywood studio system, notably at 20th Century Fox, where he struggled to reconcile his artistic vision with commercial demands. Despite the friction, this period produced notable films including 'This Land is Mine' (1943) and 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' (1946). The documentary then follows Renoir's evolution into an international filmmaker in the 1950s, highlighted by 'The River' (1951), shot on location in India and widely regarded as a turning point in his late career. The film draws on archival footage and 1960s interview material with Renoir himself, complemented by commentary from his son Alain — described as normally camera-shy — and critical perspectives from filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, Bernardo Bertolucci, Claude Chabrol, and Bertrand Tavernier. Narration is provided by actress Harriet Walter. Originally commissioned for BBC1's 'Omnibus' arts strand to mark the centenary of Renoir's birth, the documentary provides limited coverage of his private life, focusing primarily on his cinematic output and the challenges of his Hollywood years and later international work.

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